They might be able to solve a crime – but can they build a life together? A compelling historical romance with a murder mystery at its core, for readers of Darry Fraser and Tea Cooper.
1892. It has been almost twenty years since Charlie O’Reilly left Maiden’s Creek, the town where she once knew only injustice and fear. Now she returns as acting matron of the local hospital, determined to prove her worth – and to escape the attentions of a man she would rather forget.
Despite his wealth and busy practice as a criminal lawyer, Danny Hunt has never found contentment. He is still haunted by memories of his childhood in Maiden’s Creek and the strange and desperate man who was his father.
When a court case goes wrong and Danny’s life is threatened, he seizes the opportunity to visit Maiden’s Creek with his friend Robert, whose sister, a nurse at the hospital, is the only woman Danny has ever proposed to.
But danger follows Danny and Charlie, and when a nurse is violently murdered, they are thrown together in a desperate bid to prove the innocence of a friend. When a devastating storm hits, threatening the hospital, old hurts and secrets come to the surface.
Both can see that they make the perfect team, but Charlie is committed to her work and has one secret she plans never to reveal…
The Homecoming is the third instalment in the outstanding Maiden’s Creek series but can also be read as a standalone. Stuart’s knowledge of late nineteenth-century rural Victoria and the goldmining history imbues this series. The first two titles, The Postmistress and The Goldminer’s Sister remind me of classics like The Thorn Birds, and here, she does it again. The Homecoming has history, mystery and romance, along with sizzling chemistry between Charlotte and Danny – it ticks every box. While it’s hard to pick a favourite in this series, I feel Stuart’s outdone herself here with the tension and drama, wrapped with a murder and a major flood.
You’ll quickly recognise Charlotte and Danny, who were introduced earlier in the series as children. Now, twenty years later, they’re adults with their own absorbing stories. Charlotte is particularly compelling: strong, feisty and very capable. Thanks to Eliza McLeod, from The Goldminer’s Sister, she is now a nurse and acting matron. However, the story is told from both points of view which gives it a great structure and pace. There are also some familiar secondary characters, and it’s a delight seeing where their lives have led now.
This really is an excellent addition to the Maiden’s Creek series and establishes Stuart’s place as one of Australia’s great historical novelists. I’m hoping there’s a book four – there’s so much more to tell here. The Homecoming was a great start to the 2023 reading year for me.
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